Generally speaking, media content receivers facilitate the delivery of media content from a content provider to a subscriber of the content. For example, a television content receiver, such as a satellite or cable television set-top box, typically delivers hundreds of television programming channels from a television content provider for viewing on a television connected to the set-top box. Oftentimes, the subscriber may subscribe to the service according to any of several different subscription packages or levels, with each level being associated with a different amount of media content available to the subscriber's set-top box. For example, the subscriber may subscribe to any of a basic subscription package allowing the subscriber to view programming broadcast on local television stations and some cable networks, more enhanced packages that include the basic package content plus some regional sports channels, and premium packages that include enhanced package content in addition to one or more movie channels. Another subscription augmentation may be to include high definition content in addition to standard definition programs.
In many cases, the subscriber may wish to utilize multiple receivers at the subscriber's residence to allow viewing of the subscribed media content in several different locations within the home. To help satisfy this desire, the service provider may provide a main or primary subscription to be associated with one of the media content receivers, and one or more less costly (or possibly free) secondary subscriptions, each of which is associated with a secondary receiver within the same home. Thus, the same level of media content may be accessible via the primary receiver and one or more secondary receivers, albeit at a reduced overall subscription cost than if each subscription were purchased for a separate household.